CLEVELAND—Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC), Ohio’s most celebrated craft brewer of award-winning lagers and ales, announces its plan to expand distribution throughout the state of Minnesota. On September 9, 2013, GLBC will enter St. Cloud with Bernick’s Beverages & Vending. GLBC currently serves Duluth and the Twin Cities region, and this rollout will help to extend distribution throughout the state. Deeper distribution in the state of Minnesota aligns with the company’s strategic growth plans.

Customers can expect to see GLBC’s Year-Round family of beers in package and draft, as well as the GLBC Taster’s Pack (a sampler 12-pack). The new market rollout will involve multiple customer appreciation events, meet-and-greets, tastings, and giveaways throughout the area.

Great Lakes Brewing Co. currently serves 13 states and Washington DC. Founded in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway as the first craft brewery in the state of Ohio, GLBC is nationally known for its exceptional family of beers including Dortmunder Gold Lager, Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Burning River Pale Ale, Commodore Perry India Pale Ale, and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. Visit greatlakesbrewing.com/Minnesotaand follow @GLBCinMN on Twitter for exclusive updates and event announcements.

CLEVELAND—Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) is thrilled to announce details of the official GLBC 25th Anniversary Block Party, which will be held on September 6, 2013 from 11AM to 9PM at the GLBC Brewpub, Market Avenue, and Market Square Park in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood.

The block party will take place on GLBC’s official 25th anniversary, and is free and open to the public. Attendees can expect live music by a diverse lineup of local musicians, a free photo booth from 4PM to 8PM, free face painting, merchandise and fresh food from local vendors and restaurants, and GLBC’s award-winning lagers and ales served on the Brewpub’s picturesque patio. A special 80s-themed set by Cleveland’s The Spazmatics will cap off a whole day of fun and entertainment for all ages (after all, GLBC was founded in 1988). Market Avenue and Market Square Park will be shut down for the day, making the 25th anniversary celebration a true block party.

This commemorative celebration marks 25 years of exceptional beer from Ohio’s first craft brewery in the place where it all started. Further details will be announced as the date approaches. For more information, visit greatlakesbrewing.com.

Music:

The Spazmatics | Bethesda | Tom Evanchuck | Thaddeus Anna Greene | Oldboy | Meridian | Carrie Ryan

Vendors:

Adam Pate “the Caricature Guy” | The Basketeria Inc. | Faces & Fun Entertainment | Glass Bubble Project | Market Garden Brewery | Red Eye Photo Booth | Rust Belt Monster Collective | Theresa’s Bakery

CLEVELAND—Great Lakes Brewing Co. (GLBC) announces a historic beer dinner 4,000 years in the making. For the past year, our brewers and archaeologists at the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute have attempted to create an authentic version of an ancient Sumerian ale without the aid of modern brewing equipment. On August 14 we will debut this Sumerian beer in our Brewery’s Tasting Room at an educational and interactive event that will go down in history.

Seated amongst festive décor, guests will enjoy a family-style Sumerian feast, including ancient recipes prepared by our Brewpub’s chefs. Guests will also receive samples of two versions of our Sumerian beer: an “authentic” version, served from the custom ceramic vessels it was brewed in, and a “modern” version, the same recipe brewed in our Brewpub’s stainless steel Brewhouse.

GLBC Co-Owner and Sumerian beer collaborator Pat Conway will speak about the project and answer questions, along with key members of the Sumerian brewing and research teams. A similar event will take place in Chicago; details to follow.

Cleveland Sumerian Beer Dinner Details:

When: August 14, 2013 from 6PM to 9PM

Where: Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Tasting Room 2701 Carroll Avenue Cleveland, OH 44113

Cost: $60 per person (tax and gratuity included). Guests must register online and pay in advance for this event. A limited number of seats are available. Ticket price includes:

- Admission to our Tasting Room, decorated Sumerian-style

- One (1) sample of our Sumerian beer (brewed in ceramic vessels)

- One (1) sample of our Sumerian beer (brewed in our modern system)

- Three (3) drink tickets good for guest’s choice from our family of five Year-Round beers

- A Sumerian feast, served family-style

- An informative presentation on the Sumerian beer project, presented by Pat Conway, followed by a Q&A session

Tickets: For full details and restrictions, and to make your reservation, click here. A limited number of seats are available.

CLEVELAND— Great Lakes Brewing Co. (GLBC) joins brewers across the country in the Ales for ALS campaign. Ales for ALS is a national program that unites some of America’s top craft brewers in support of the work at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) to end ALS.

Ales for ALS participants receive a special blend of experimental hops provided by Loftus Ranches and Hopunion. Participating brewers will brew special beers with these hops and donate a portion of the sales to ALS TDI, a nonprofit biotech in Cambridge, MA that is focused solely on developing treatments and a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

As part of this program, GLBC brewers have created a heavily hopped White IPA brewed with GLBC’s Belgian witbier yeast and spiced with coriander, white pepper, and lemongrass. The beer will be tapped on Friday, July 12 at 4PM and sold exclusively in the GLBC Brewpub while supplies last. GLBC will donate $1 from each White IPA pint sold to ALS TDI.

For more information about Ales for ALS, please visit alesforals.com.

About ALS:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to paralysis due to the death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain. There is no known cure for the disease. About 5,000 people in the US are diagnosed with ALS each year. With no effective treatment, the average patient survives only 2-5 years following diagnosis. There are about 30,000 people in the US diagnosed with ALS today.

About ALS Therapy Development Institute:

The mission of the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) is to develop effective therapeutics that slow or stop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) as soon as possible for patients today. Focused on fulfilling this urgent, unmet medical need, ALS TDI executes a robust target discovery program while simultaneously operating the world’s largest efforts to preclinically validate potential therapeutics, including a pipeline of dozens of small molecules, protein biologics, gene therapies and cell-based constructs. The world’s first nonprofit biotech institute, ALS TDI has developed an industrial-scale platform, employs 30 professional scientists and evaluates dozens of potential therapeutics each year. Built by and for patients, the Cambridge,

Massachusetts-based research institute collaborates with leaders in both academia and industry to accelerate ALS therapeutic development, including Biogen Idec, UCB, Aestus Therapeutics, MDA and RGK Foundation. For more information, please visit us online at www.als.net.

Here are some details about the beer from GLBC:

Name Origin

Our silver anniversary isn’t about gold medals. It’s not about accolades or awards. It’s about 25 years of passion and heart. Silver & Gold IPL represents our past and our present, from the early Dortmunder Gold days to our growing family of beers. Silver & Gold is for our neighbors who’ve shared pints and stories with us in the Taproom, for our fans who’ve challenged us to be exceptional from day one, and for us—a bottled reminder of how far we’ve come.

Flavor

Crisp and clean with a pronounced hop presence providing a floral, piney finish

Availability

Silver & Gold IPL will debut on tap in the GLBC Brewpub and in four-packs in the GLBC Gift Shop on Friday, June 21. The time of the release will be published on greatlakesbrewing.com at a later date. Silver & Gold IPL will be available in both draft and four-packs throughout GLBC’s distribution region starting June 24.

Packaging:

Four-pack, draft

GLBC’s official 25th anniversary is September 6. On that day, the brewery will host a neighborhood block party featuring live local music, a photo booth, fresh food and merchandise from Ohio City’s artisan vendors, plus Cleveland sports mascots and other family-friendly activities. This event is open to the public. For more information, visit greatlakesbrewing.com.

Great Lakes Changing Name of Alchemy Hour Double IPA

Great Lakes Brewing Co. will change the name of its Alchemy Hour Double IPA in 2014. The change stems from a trademark matter with Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. (CBA), which represents an alliance between Widmer Brothers Brewing, Kona Brewing Co., and Redhook Brewing. CBA acquired the “Alchemy” trademark years ago. (Read more.)

Oregon Aims for State’s First Microbe: Brewer’s Yeast

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a Latin mouthful commonly known as brewer’s yeast, could become the official state microbe of Oregon, joining the ranks of the beaver, western meadowlark and the thunderegg as an official state symbol. (Via The Oregonian)

Alabama House of Representatives Approves Homebrewing Bill

The House of Representatives voted 58-33 this evening for a bill to make it legal to brew beer at home in Alabama (which is the last state where it’s still illegal). The bill, by Rep. Mac McCutcheon, R-Huntsville, would allow those 21 and older to make up to 15 gallons of beer, wine, mead or cider every three months for personal use. It would not be legal in dry counties or dry cities. (Via AL.com.)

Wynkoop Brews Kurt Vonnegut Beer

Wynkoop Brewing Co. is bringing back a cult-favorite beer from its past. Kurt’s Mile High Malt, a coffee-infused lager built from a recipe by author Kurt Vonnegut’s brewer grandfather, will be available on draft at the brewpub on April 12. The recipe was given to Wynkoop founder (and now Colorado governor) John Hickenlooper by the late author of classic works including Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse-Five. (Read more.)

Ska Brewing’s Mexican Logger Returns

Ska Brewing Co. today announced the annual release of Mexican Logger, its seasonal Mexican-style lager. The namesake beer of the Mexican Logger Superhero Carlos Javier—from Ska’s original comic book story and business plan—will hit shelves, decks and patios in Colorado and around the country on April 17. (Read more.)

Former A-B Worker Says Brewery Trying to Punish Him Over Watery-Beer Claims

A former employee of Anheuser-Busch InBev says the big brewer is suing him as punishment for his role in the recent class-action suits alleging that the company waters down its beer. (Via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.)

Surly Seeks More Public Funds for Proposed Brewery

Surly Brewing Co. is now seeking a $500,000 loan from Hennepin County to support the $20 million, 60,000-square-foot destination brewery it is proposing near the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. (Via Finance & Commerce.)

Pisgah Brewing Drops Organic Status

Pisgah Brewing of Black Mountain, NC, is dropping its USDA certification as an organic brewer due to the challenges of finding organic hops and other ingredients for its ales. (Via the Asheville Citizen-Times.)

The change stems from a trademark matter with Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. (CBA), which represents an alliance between Widmer Brothers Brewing, Kona Brewing Co., and Redhook Brewing. CBA acquired the “Alchemy” trademark years ago. According to Great Lakes, both sides reached an agreement in which Great Lakes will finish out 2013 with the name Alchemy Hour Double IPA and introduce a new name in 2014.

More from Great Lakes:

We will not be able to continue with the “Alchemy Hour” name after 2013. As many of you know, we value the stories behind each one of our beers, and Alchemy Hour is no exception. Our Alchemy Hour Double IPA was inspired by the Great Lakes’ surf community. The name, Alchemy Hour, came from a surf term that we felt also applied to the magic our brewers make each time they create a new batch of delicious beer. The artwork and name were carefully designed to capture all of the elements that we feel make this Seasonal so great. As it happens, the fellow brewers at CBA/Widmer Brothers also saw the value in the mark “Alchemy” for their products some years ago, secured the rights to the mark, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Pat Conway: It’s been an evolution. My brother Dan and I almost immediately had a recycling effort at the brewery back 24 years ago. Now we have the three waves in our logo. The logo has barley crisscrossed at the top, centered with hop cones. Underneath the words “Great Lakes Brewing” we have three waves that represent our Triple Bottom Line: we felt it was important to emphasize, beyond the financial, the social and environmental. As it’s turned out over the years, the social and environmental aspects have gained in popularity with our consumer base.

Pat Conway of Great Lakes Brewing Co.

We’re part of the one-percent-to-the-planet strategy giving back to the community. We’ve got our Burning River Fest, which I think is going into its twelfth year, where we give money to groups that work primarily in the area of water quality. I think we’ve doled out over $350,000 to groups that work in that sphere. So it’s not “green-washing”: it’s a living, breathing part of the company.

Great Lakes is located in a historic part of Cleveland.

The buildings were actually built in the mid-nineteenth century. One was a livery stable, which is now our beer garden. Another building where our taproom and beer cellar are, was called Market Tavern. The other building was the Herman-McLean Feed and Seed, and now that’s our little brewery restaurant and dining room. The corner building was the Silver Dollar Saloon and upstairs was a burlesque house—now that’s our corporate offices on the upper floors and the first floor is retail. Our production brewery across the street was the stables of an old brewery called Schlather Brewing Co.

Cleveland had 30 breweries in the 1870s, and we’re in the center of where a lot of the brewing activity took place. The whole campus just reeks of charm. There’s nothing like old red brick buildings to conjure up the romance of brewing days past.

You once told me there are bullet holes in the brewpub wall.

That was Eliot Ness. Our mother was his stenographer. When he put Capone in jail in Chicago, he came to Cleveland to run the police and fire department, and my mom used to take dictation from him. One of his favorite watering holes was Market Tavern. There’s a stunningly beautiful tiger mahogany bar replete with bullet holes: somehow, they’re associated with Ness. My mom questioned the veracity of the story, because she said he never carried a gun, but I said, “Well, maybe somebody shot at him.”